Coronary occlusion and rupture of the aortic root or annulus remain two major concerns of transcatheter aortic valve implantation technique. Despite their relatively low frequency they raised the interest of the scientific community as they carry an extremely poor prognosis. Prosthesis type and size selection is part of the patient selection process that allows the operator to prevent these complications. In this article, the techniques used either during pre-TAVI screening or during the procedure itself to avoid coronary occlusion and aortic rupture will be discussed.
Marco Barbanti - Division of Cardiology, Ferrarotto Hospital, University of Catania